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INEE Working Group on Minimum Standards and Network Tools

Mapping the Education Response

to the Syrian Crisis

February 2014

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Acknowledgments

The mapping of the education responses to the Syrian crisis is an initiative of the INEE Working Group on Minimum Standards and Network Tools. The project was managed and overseen by Tzvetomira Laub, INEE Coordinator, on behalf of the Working Group. INEE Minimum Standards team member Ryan Burbach carried out survey data analysis, desk research and report compilation.

The compilation of the education responses to the Syrian crisis to date would not have been possible without the collaboration of the INEE Working Group and Steering Group members, Education Cluster members and survey respondents.

© 2014, Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE)

www.ineesite.org

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Table  of  Contents  Acronyms.................................................................................................................................... 4  

INEE Tools ................................................................................................................................. 6  

Contextual Background .............................................................................................................. 7  

Survey Background..................................................................................................................... 7  

Key Issues, Barriers and Gaps Identified through Surveys ........................................................ 9  

Community Participation.......................................................................................................... 12  

Community Resources .............................................................................................................. 16  

Coordination Activities............................................................................................................. 19  

Assessments .............................................................................................................................. 22  

Monitoring and Evaluation Processes....................................................................................... 26  

Equal Access............................................................................................................................. 29  

Teaching and Learning ............................................................................................................. 35  

Teachers and Other Educational Personnel .............................................................................. 45  

Educational Law and Policy ..................................................................................................... 48  

Use of INEE Tools.................................................................................................................... 50  

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Acronyms  

ACTED Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development

ANERA American Near East Refugee Aid

CMP Community Mobilization for Partnership

CPSC Community Parent School Coalitions

CRS Catholic Relief Services

DRC Danish Relief Committee

EiE Education in Emergencies

FCA Finn Church Aid

GOPA Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East

HWA Hilfswerk Austria International

INEE Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies

INGO International Non-Governmental Organization

IOCC International Orthodox Christian Charities

IQRA IQRA Relief and Development Organization

IRC International Rescue Committee

IRD International Relief and Development

JRS Jesuit Relief Services

LSESD Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development

LWF Lutheran World Federation

M&E Monitoring and Evaluation

MOE Ministry of Education

NGO Non-Governmental Organization

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NRC Norwegian Refugee Council

OTI Office of Transition Initiative – Lebanon

PIN People in Need

PRS Palestinian Refugees from Syria

PTA Parent-Teacher Association

RET Refugee Education Trust

SCI Save the Children

SCPN Syria Child Protection Network

TDH Terre Des Hommes Italia

UNDP United Nations Development Program

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund

UNHCR United Nations High Commission on Refugees

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency

WV World Vision

 

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INEE  Good  Practice  Tools  to  Support  Education  Design,  Delivery,  Monitoring  and  Evaluation  

The Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) has developed a number of tools that can be utilized by practitioners and policy makes working on the design and deliver of education services for Syrian children in Syria proper and neighboring countries. Many of the tools are available in multiple languages, including Arabic.

• INEE Minimum Standards

• INEE Minimum Standards Reference Tool

• INEE Pocket Guide to Gender

• INEE Pocket Guide to Inclusive Education

• INEE Pocket Guide to Supporting Learners with Disabilities

• INEE Poster--INEE Minimum Standards

• INEE Poster--Teachers Help Everyone Learn

• INEE Guidance Notes on Teaching and Learning

• INEE Guidance Notes on Teacher Compensation

• INEE Guidance Notes on Safer School Construction

• INEE Guidance on HIV in EiE

• INEE Conflict Sensitive Education Pack (which includes the following:)

o INEE Guidance Note on Conflict Sensitive Education

o INEE Reflection Tool on Conflict Sensitive Education

o INEE Guiding Principles on Conflict Sensitive Education

• INEE E-learning module on the INEE MS  

• INEE Toolkit  

For more, visit http://toolkit.ineesite.org.

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Contextual  Background  With over 2.3 million Syrian refugees registered in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey as of December 2013 and 49.9 % of those registered under the age of 17, the education response to the Syrian conflict is an essential intervention in guaranteeing the basic human right for Syrian refugees. UN analyses have estimated that the number of refugees in the region could top 4.1 million by December 2014.1 While neighboring countries have graciously come to the aid of Syrian refugees, the already limited educational infrastructure was quickly overwhelmed by the rapid influx of Syrian children and youth. These capacity challenges have been compounded by language barriers and uncertainty around reliable funding sources in a protracted conflict situation. As organizations scramble to support existing educational infrastructure, it is essential that planning and implementation bodies work together effectively and efficiently to identify gaps and coordinate interventions.

Survey  Background  In response to member demand, INEE has mapped the education response to the Syrian crisis in this report. This document is current as of December 2013. Data on the situation and education services offered in Syria proper as well as in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Northern Iraq/Kurdistan and Egypt presented in this report is based on a survey of the INEE members and partners, and information shared by members of the INEE Working Group on Minimum Standards and the INEE Steering Group.

In total, 34 respondents completed the survey representing 27 different agencies. Respondents reported working or planning to work in Syria and seven surrounding countries involved in humanitarian response related to the Syrian conflict. Information was shared on both work completed since the beginning of the conflict as well as work planned for 2014. The greatest number of respondents (50.0%) worked or were planning to work in Lebanon, with Jordan as the second most common site for educational interventions (35.3%). 85.3% of respondents indicated that they had been providing educational humanitarian services in 2013, with 35.3% and 82.4% reporting to have worked in 2012 or planning to work in 2014, respectively.

The summary below highlights the interventions that organizations have undertaken in 2012 and 2013 or plan to undertake in 2014 to drive the education response to the Syrian crisis. The information on the education interventions is systematized using the INEE Minimum Standards as an organizing framework to help identify gaps in the current service delivery. In addition, the information is further stratified by the country where the education service was or will be delivered.

1 "Syria Regional Refugee Response - Regional Overview." UNHCR. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/regional.php.

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Where not specifically attributed to a particular study or publication, the data presented in the report comes from the INEE survey on the Syrian education response and/or personal communication between the INEE Secretariat and the INEE members and partners.

This report presents only a snapshot of the education work in response to the Syrian crisis. It is not a comprehensive analysis of all education aid delivered in Syrian and neighboring countries. The data is a compilation of survey data and desk research.

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Key  Issues,  Barriers  and  Gaps  Identified  through  Survey  Data  This section of the report summarizes the key issues, barriers, challenges and gaps in education service delivery identified through survey and desk research. All these issues, barriers, challenges and gaps are impacting the access to education as well as the quality of teaching and learning for Syrian children and youth.

Syria

• Insufficient budget and donor interest to meet the immense education needs of children affected by the conflict.

• Religious education and how to address it as a non-religious entity. • Increasing insecurity and threat of attacks on education (including attacks on students,

teachers, educational facilities and other educational personnel). • Limited formal and informal educational physical space. • Limited supply of educational materials. • Minimal attention given to youth cohort. • Increasing psycho-social needs of students, teachers and their families. • Intermittent nature of educational services and difficulties maintaining routine during

conflict. • Sheer numbers that require educational support. • Use of schools by armed groups and armed forces and potential for education to be used

for harm. • Limited evidence base for education interventions. • Little focus on secondary schools and teenagers. • Limited support for existing schools in favor of establishing new schools run by various

organizations. • Limited focus on internally displaced children and distance of educational facilities from

communities inside Syria.

Iraq

• The lack of formal and informal educational facilities presents a challenge in Iraq.

Jordan

• Access to education as a result of distance and/or transportation. • Pre-conflict low secondary school enrollment. • Vocational training for Syrian youth in Jordan is not promoted widely. • Lack of access to higher education for refugees. • No Ministry of Education (MOE) emergency unit. • Low quality formal education in camps.

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• Limited availability of inclusive education. • Insufficient data and evidence to inform educational response. Specifically:

o The profile of those who are not attending formal schools and the reasons for not attending school.

o Needs of those attending host community schools in order to ensure that children are able to make the best possible use of educational opportunities and that they are able to acquire the skills and knowledge needed for grade progression and reintegration in home country education systems.

Lebanon

• The public school system is incapable of absorbing the increasing number of refugees. • Lack of space in the Lebanese school system, in spite of high-level efforts to increase

capacity. o Lebanese schools at the best of times can accommodate 30% of Syrian children,

thus leaving 70% out of school and in need of non-formal schooling. • 80% of refugee children aged 6 to 17 do not attend school. • Only 38% of children at the primary school age receive instruction. • Transportation and tuition fees constitute major obstacles that prevent access. • Language barriers are one of the most pronounced difficulties that Syrian students

encounter in the Lebanese Education System as arriving pupils are accustomed to being educated in Arabic.

• Parents seem to be reluctant to send their children long distances to school and are apprehensive about their children facing discrimination and any type of violence from both students and teachers.

• Thousands of children fleeing Syria have not received any formal education for months, in some cases up to 19 months.

• An assessment on the target population's vulnerabilities showed a high rate of school dropout by children, specifically: 13.5% among boys and 12.5% among girls.

• Families’ primary concern is securing basic and immediate needs, while only 21.6% of the assessed families can cover education costs with their monthly income.

• Among survey respondents, 38.5% cannot afford to pay the required tuition fees and cost of school supplies, while 6.5% reported that their children are sent to work.

• 37.4% of the Syrian refugees residing in the target area in Lebanon are not registered with UNHCR.

o Main reasons provided: Distance from the registration point located in Beirut High transportation costs Lack of information about registration procedures and the subsequent

benefits of the registration status Mistrust or fear of political reprisals.

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• Very limited international financial focus on adolescents and youth education. • Constant influx of new refugees, which demands re-thinking interventions and ways to

adequately respond to a variety of situations and education backgrounds. • High registration school fees for Syrian refugees and lack of knowledge in UNHCR

resources. • Weak existing infrastructure.

Turkey

• Lack of a coherent cohesive effort to provide education in Turkey to Syrian refugees. • New Turkish legislation that has made implementing a response to the education issue

more challenging. • Lack of actors in Turkey providing education to Syrians. • Lack of quality processes that ensure quality education staff, education management, and

education methods, access and availability of school areas in host communities, language barriers, and teacher salaries

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Community  Participation  Syria

In 2013, Save the Children International (SCI) engaged the community through rapid needs assessment and appropriate response built from the data collected. In addition, focus group discussions, questionnaires and meetings were conducted to ensure quality and responsiveness to community needs. In 2014, feedback mechanisms will be established for children and women.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) sought community participation through teachers’ annual plans that include courses for parents to teach their children life skills.

People in Need (PIN) coordinated with local administrative entities (Local Councils, Aleppo Provincial Council) both in Aleppo and Idlib areas in order to inform and involve them in activities in schools. PIN originally engaged the community for the purposes of selecting the "Temporary Learning Spaces" in order to identify spaces safe enough to restart education activities. The Local Councils, namely their education offices, are the main reference points of the communities in Aleppo neighborhoods and PIN coordinates with them for selecting program beneficiaries.

The Syria Child Protection Network (SCPN) has established local community educational centers that are operated by community members, who form committees that plan and implement educational responses. The centers cater for 300 children to minimize risks. The committee decides on location, type of activities, schedules and other details. All committee members received training in child protection and they use their knowledge to decide on best practices. They also review psycho-social support programs and adapt the activities to match the culture of their society.

Iraq

The Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) referenced community participation as a key aspect of their approaches to implementation, monitoring and evaluation. 200 youth community members will be trained as peer educators to support these endeavors.2

SCI is conducting outreach sessions with communities where alternative learning systems will be situated. They are considering possible formation of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and ensuring continual engagement with community. Effort will be made to enhance social cohesion with host and Syrian communities.

Jordan

2 "Improving Child and Youth Protection among Conflict-affected Syrian Refugees." ACTED. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.acted.org/en/improving-child-and-youth-protection-among-conflict-affected-syrian-refugees.

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World Vision (WV) has created Parents Meetings prior to activities to listen to community suggestions, ideas and roles around the involvement of parents in the educational process. This initial planning process is followed by monthly Parents Meetings to enhance parenting skills during the time of crisis.

Jesuit Relief Services (JRS) facilitates informal education programs, run entirely by Jordanian host community volunteers or refugee volunteers from Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, and/or Syria. All students are offered English language and computer classes. Women can also take courses in life-skills, while children are able to enroll in music and art classes, sports activities and kindergarten. The program has been restructured from disjoint classes with different management and support into a cohesive educational program. This has proven was a necessary step towards providing quality education services to all the refugee communities in Amman.3

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has established and trained PTAs and conducted participatory education assessments. In 2013, War Child-UK created mother and father community groups to discuss the value of education, outreach on the importance of education in communities.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in partnership with Questscope, a Jordanian non-governmental organization (NGO), offers informal education programs in Za’atari Camp. Host communities have appointed a member of the community to work with community structures and parents to encourage participation in the program.

Edukans Foundation has conducted needs assessments to prioritize educational needs of children and youth. In addition, they have mapped the capacity to engage community volunteers, provide social support by peers, offer psycho-social support to parents, transfer responsibilities to the community itself, and establish local committees for planning. In 2014, a complaints mechanism will be set up for direct community feedback.

In 2014, staff from the NGO Aliim will consult community leaders and local NGOs as part of a baseline needs assessment for an informal mobile learning program. The community will continue to be an integral partner throughout the planning, implementation and evaluation (both immediate and long-term) phases. Furthermore, students will have the opportunity at the end of the program to apply their learned skills through planning, creating and implementing a project that benefits the community.

International Relief and Development (IRD) worked on enhancing parent-school administration communication through an initiative called Open Day. The Open Day offered the opportunity to officially launch the community-parent school coalitions (CPSCs) within the school community, as well as recognize the CPSC members and showcase their contributions. Activities included a 3 "Jordan: Changing with the Times, JRS Adapts to the Community's Needs." Jesuit Refugee Services. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.jrsmena.org/campaign_detail?PTN=PROMO-20120515075917&TN=PROJECT-20130301090248&L=EN.

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match between parents and students based on summer camp games, booths selling items for income generation, art and science exhibitions and sports events. IRD sponsored a puppet show and a jumping castle at each school. Students, teachers, families and community members of many Community Mobilization for Partnership (CMP) Schools gathered together to clean up their schools under the “Project Community Care” initiative. Volunteers brought their tools, gloves and enthusiasm as they cleaned the exterior and interior of school grounds. A School Gardening initiative aimed to encourage and support schools to create and actively use a school garden. In some schools, gardens are being integrated into the educational curriculum to teach children not only about plants, nature and the outdoors, but other subjects as well. Gardens can teach children about history, economics, poetry and math. Teachers are using the garden as a teaching tool in addition gardens being to beautiful places for students and staff to gather. Plans are being organized for planting days to be held in the spring, including a visit from a botanist to address the students.

Caritas Jordan provides educational services to urban refugees. Community participation during planning is done through Caritas Syrian refugee volunteers who act as communication channels for understanding the refugees’ basic and educational needs. Throughout Caritas centers, which cover 6 areas (Amman, Zarqa, Madaba, Mafraq, Huson and Karak), caseworkers conduct full assessments of refugees in addition to field visits. The assessments include questions on medical, humanitarian, educational and psycho-social needs. This assessment data is used when planning any activity, project or program. Before starting any educational activity, an orientation session is conducted for parents, teachers and all implementing parties to explain the activity objectives, practical details and obstacles, while allowing for suggestions. Some teachers are Syrian volunteers. Feedback sessions are conducted with all stakeholders at the end of each educational activity as an evaluation mechanism to gather lessons learned, which are incorporated in the planning for the next activity.

Lebanon

NRC Lebanon developed a strategy aimed at supporting the integration of Syrian refugee children in the public school system in Lebanon. NRC aims to provide non-formal community-based education for out-of-school children, work on development of quality standards and guidelines for quality assurance in all aspects of the response and participate in several needs assessments to ensure that its response is relevant.

The Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development (LSESD) facilitates educational programming for Syrian refugee children that is implemented through a local church partner. To date, teachers have been hired entirely from the Syrian refugee community and will continue to be, with minimal exceptions. Participating families regularly provide feedback for monitoring and evaluation to the director and program monitors.

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In 2013, American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) conducted a participatory needs assessment, covering families of Palestinian Refugees from Syria (PRS), out-of-school and in-school pupils, key informants in PRS community (Popular Committees for example), and Palestinians from Lebanon (UNRWA school teachers and directors, CSOs working in education). In 2014, implementation will be conducted by ANERA's local partners, including PRS staff. Evaluation mechanisms will be set to ensure community participation and feedback.

Refugee Education Trust (RET) has conducted informal needs and assets assessments to better understand the needs, expectations and potential education responses able to support the right to education of adolescents and youth. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has arranged training for teachers, school principals and parents on peace building.

Hilfswerk Austria International (HWA) collected assessment data with the support of refugee family members who are currently attending psycho-social support activities at their center. The cooperation with Syrian families ensured a participatory approach in formulating needs, using multiple sources of support and specifically involving children and women. Activities were then designed based on the assessment data provided. The evaluation will also use a participatory approach to gather the views of project beneficiaries through focus group discussions, key informant interviews and questionnaires.

Terre Des Hommes Italia (TDH) has actively involved the target population in the implementation and evaluation of TDH activities. Participation and commitment of the project beneficiaries' primary caregivers has been and will be stimulated through awareness sessions on child protection, child rights, hygiene, child feeding, nutrition and related topics and outreach activities to promote awareness on importance of quality education, peace education and positive discipline. Participation of girls and women and persons from vulnerable groups is promoted.

Turkey

UNICEF has discussed needs and plans, including participatory meetings in and outside camps, evaluation and monitoring visits, with the communities in which they work.

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Community  Resources  Syria

In 2013, SCI organized assessments, observations and meetings with stakeholders in the community to identify, mobilize and ensure the best use of available resources. Input was also sought in such areas as: encouraging community ownership, recruitment of teachers and identifying locations to start education.

SCPN coordinated educational projects between local community initiatives and local authorities, such as local councils. Some books and computers located in public libraries and cultural centers were shared with schools and educational initiatives, based on coordination with local councils and other parties. Education centers depend on local human resources such as teachers, builders, engineers, etc. to function effectively.

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is working in Syria with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East (GOPA) to employ displaced Syrians to sew new school uniforms for more than 1,000 school-aged children currently living in public shelters around the capital city. Many of the 34 tailors and seamstresses making uniforms are displaced mothers and fathers residing at a school shelter in the Barzeh area of Damascus. IOCC is providing material and basic sewing tools for parents who own sewing machines. Workers who have lost their livelihoods and income because of the conflict now design and sew the uniforms and earn much-needed income for their efforts.4

Iraq

ACTED has used geographic mapping through REACH services (initiative by ACTED, Impact Initiatives and UNOSAT to promote humanitarian information products), conducted focus groups, created emergency protection units and used monitoring and evaluation systems to assess community resources.

Jordan

WV has used community-based groups for the maintenance of the classrooms and premises. JRS has used local Catholic schools and community centers in areas where particularly vulnerable populations reside in Amman and Irbid. NRC has hosted open days for parents in education centers and regular parents and teachers meetings to increase attendance.

UNESCO’s youth mentoring program in Za’atari Camp used young adults from the community to mentor 350 youth. 20 youth (10 females and 10 males) who are participants in the youth mentoring program were selected to form a Youth Advisory Council in the camp. At the meetings, topics of importance to the community are discussed, including violence, leadership

4 "The Future Threatened For Syria's School Children." International Orthodox Christian Charities. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.iocc.org/news/10-2-13syria.aspx.

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and child labor. Also, neighborhood leaders and mentoring participants formed a community committee to identify and solve problems that may arise over the course of programming.

In Edukans’ programs, communities do not contribute financially, but volunteer teachers are recruited from communities in Za'atari Camp. Education programming is done with IOCC and local partners. Community volunteers will be engaged and a local committee for planning will be established to facilitate social support by peers and psycho-social support to parents, if not done by other actors.

In 2014, Aliim plans to work with local community leaders and organizers to identify child-friendly places where children can have access to wireless internet and learn over their smartphones. These places may include school facilities after hours, established community centers and family homes. Community leaders will also help identify learning supervisors that can watch over student usage of the smartphones.

IRD worked on community matching. A main goal of the CMP program is capitalizing on local resources to encourage community contributions to the school, both cash or in-kind. In response to CPSC suggestions and requests, the CMP team instituted a small income generation project within each CPSC, using a CPSC grant ($300) as a seed fund. Each CPSC was encouraged to come up with an activity for income generation that included the participation of parents, teachers and students. CPSCs have used this seed fund to purchase materials and products for resale. All proceeds and profits are circulated back into the fund, gradually growing the available funds for school improvements prioritized by the CPSC.

Caritas Jordan cooperates with Latin Church Charity Schools to provide classrooms and school facilities, qualified teachers (among other qualified Syrian volunteers teachers), buses with drivers and escorts, and school guards who ensure security inside the school campuses. These schools have a long-standing trustful partnership with Caritas Jordan, based on many years of cooperation.

Lebanon

NRC Lebanon has set up six community centers throughout the country. The centers offer both education and legal support to refugees. In 2014, NRC Lebanon will use these centers as hubs to reach out to refugee communities in informal tented settlements or other gatherings and identify teachers from within these communities. NRC will then train them and provide them with technical and material support to start up community-based schooling for children in these informal tented settlements. Community centers will cooperate with local municipalities and communities, in addition to governmental schools.

The Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development (LSESD) has hired Syrian refugee teachers and uses program space in the building of the local church partner.

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In 2013, ANERA coordinated with local partners working on education in Lebanon's Palestinian camps and with UNRWA schools to interview key informants in the PRS community. Community resources are part of the under-going assessment, including household surveys and focus groups, on education needs of PRS. In 2014, implementation will rely on community resources and local community-based organizations identified through these assessments.

In 2013, the Office of Transition Initiative – Lebanon (OTI) conducted a field survey and resource assessment to identify the efficient use of available community resources. IQRA has conducted community outreach, leveraged municipality partnerships, and cooperated with schools and community centers. UNDP has used community resources for the purposes of training for teachers, school principals and parents on peace building.

The HWA center in Bourj Hammoud is managed by local partner Mouvement Social and targets Lebanese children and parents to implement educational and awareness activities. The educators are both from the Syrian community and the host community in Bourj Hammoud.

Sonbola, a local Lebanese organization, implements educational and communal interventions that aim to identify potential local human resources inside the targeted camps in order to empower them and equip them with skills to support the children's education in the camp. This sustainable model will help target new camps and continue expanding interventions.

Turkey

In 2014, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) plans to mobilize community members in order to assist with ensuring a safe commute for some children who reside far from schools.

UNICEF used community resources for all training and support activities for Syrian trainers and teachers, identifying them during visits and collaborating with the Ministry of Education (MOE).

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Coordination  Activities  Syria

SCI hosts the Education working group where stakeholders (NGOs and INGOs) involved in the Syria response meet to harmonize, coordinate and ensure complementarity of programming.

PIN participates in the Education Working Group sharing information with other members working in northern Syria in order to standardize our methods, share information and avoid duplication. Moreover, PIN coordinates closely with other organizations, both Syrian and foreign, active in Aleppo city and Idlib governorate through weekly meetings in order to harmonize standards on the ground and avoid duplication. PIN also continuously coordinates with the local councils who remain the main counterpart on the ground.

SCPN coordinates with local councils and community-based initiatives to share resources, some armed groups to evacuate schools and relief offices to move internally displaced persons from schools into other buildings.

Jordan

NRC is co-chairing the Za’atari Camp youth task force meetings with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and is co-chairing the Education Working Group with UNICEF. WV is actively contributing to inter-agency sector working groups in each country. JRS participates in the UNICEF Education Working Group on a monthly basis. JRS refers to Save the Children Help Desk and other NGOs conducting education activities which JRS does not offer. War Child participates in sector working groups and task forces, as well as sharing guidance notes among partners.

UNESCO is an active participant in the Education Working Group. UNESCO also participates in the Host Community Platform, which was established to plan for and minimize the impact of the crisis on communities hosting large numbers of refugees.

Edukans coordinates through local partners, Finn Church Aid (FCA), Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and other partners.

At Caritas Jordan, educational activities are mainly conducted by the Caritas project coordination team. This team is responsible for all coordination activities between all stakeholders. The team coordinates between school administration, teachers and staff with beneficiaries, as well as with specialized centers for teacher's training. The team oversees coordination with medical and counseling units and students by referring all students that need medical or psycho-social assistance to Caritas counseling unit or to the medical clinics in Caritas centers. The coordination team links the Caritas awareness unit and counseling unit for any awareness sessions for parents or students, as well as with students and their families in case they are in need for any

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humanitarian assistance to be provided by Caritas different project. The team reaches out to different service providers to provide educational material and activities. The team conducts frequent field visits to schools to ensure that education flow process is going on smoothly, conduct parent meetings and coordinate donor visits. In the coordination process, Syrian-refugee volunteers and the Caritas field visit team help in the coordination process between urban Syrian refugees and the project team.

Lebanon

NRC is an active member of the Education Working Group in Lebanon and the Steering Committee for the Education Working Group, which sets the strategic directions of the Group. LSESD attends UN Education Cluster coordination meetings. ANERA participates in the Lebanon Education Working Group led by UNHCR/UNICEF/MEHE and coordinates actions with local community-based organization in Lebanon's Palestinian camps. They also coordinate with UNRWA to support educational efforts for PRS children in Lebanon. OTI coordinates with the Education Working Group of UN agencies and the MOE. UNDP co-leads the Social Cohesion Working Group (with UNHCR) and participates in the Education Working Group meetings.

RET is an active member of the international, humanitarian working groups on sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV), education, social cohesion and livelihoods managed by UNHCR and UNDP. RET has also contributed to the development of Regional Response Plans for Lebanon 5 and 6 (2013, 2014).

IQRA coordinates with public school systems to train teachers, equip classrooms with supplies and materials and ensure the sustainability of programs.

HWA has coordinated with INGOs and UN agencies through joining the weekly cluster and coordination meetings. HWA was a main player in a recently conducted UNHCR-led Joint Education Needs Assessment.

TDH actively participates in the Education and Protection Working Groups, and in the Regional Response Plan to ensure uniformity of strategy intervention, sharing of data and information and avoidance of duplicative efforts. An effective referral mechanism has been established and areas of collaboration with local and international stakeholders have been identified under the framework of TDH 2013 Emergency Interventions Plan. TDH closely collaborates with local and international organizations to meet the target population's basic needs and enhance project sustainability. Also, TDH interventions have been discussed with the national and local authorities, including the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, municipalities and public schools, with the full understanding of their involvement in the assessment and preparatory phase, organization and monitoring of the implementation process.

Turkey

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CRS has planned coordination with UNICEF for the provision of teaching materials, standard Syrian curriculum, teacher and management trainings in pedagogy, subject areas, psycho-social and protection issues as well as education institution management.

As of November 2013, UNICEF had no formal coordination mechanisms on education yet, but participated in coordination meetings. Currently, UNICEF has regular meetings on education with government counterparts and is in the process of setting up a more inclusive coordination network.

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Assessments  Syria

In 2013, SCI conducted baseline assessments to measure the mental, social and psychological development of the children to ensure the quality of the services provided. Questionnaires and key informant interviews were conducted to gauge education services and barriers to education in the region. A recent needs assessment was conducted highlighting education needs across several locations in Syria.

In 2013, PIN participated in the Joint Rapid Assessment in Northern Syria and conducted periodic assessments in order to identify additional schools or temporary learning spaces in need of support for new possible projects. The Radanar Ayar Rural Development Association conducted early childhood care and development and education in emergencies assessments. SCPN conducts a situation analysis at the end of each year to plan for the next year. This includes identification of needs and challenges for both children and staff and screening of needs of children.

Iraq

ACTED conducted focus group discussions, mapping, individual surveys, meetings with donors and other partners and meetings with the government to assess education needs.

Jordan

In 2013, WV participated in the overall inter-agency assessment, as well as a child protection assessment, which included some components of education.

JRS conducted two needs assessments. In Sept 2012, JRS conducted a needs assessment using surveys and focus groups with 300 refugees in Amman. In Sept 2013, JRS conducted a needs assessment in Amman, Irbid and Ramtha using surveys, focus groups and one-on-one interview through home visits to 812 refugees.

In 2013, NRC was involved in the design and implementation of the multi-agency Joint Education Needs Assessment carried out in Za’atari Camp and host communities. They also carried out a rapid youth assessment in Za’atari Camp and several rapid education assessments in Za’atari and the Emirati Jordan Camps. In early 2014, NRC is planning to carry out an education assessment in host communities. In 2013, War Child conducted a rapid needs assessment on education in Za'atari Camp.

UNESCO will undertake an SMS (text message) survey to collect data on out-of-school Syrian refugees living in Jordan. The data will be used to inform educational programming and to develop appropriate interventions to support the educational needs of Syrian children and youth.

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In 2013, Aliim compiled a literature review that highlights the main barriers to education in the region using published reports by UN agencies and NGOs, blogs and news articles. In 2014, they plan to survey several activists and local officials in Beirut and Mt. Lebanon along with Amman and Irbid in Jordan to gather firsthand information regarding the education situation in these areas.

IRD will conduct needs assessments and data collection from schools using participatory education surveys, with input from parents, teachers, students, school administrators and the community. Focus groups will assess the needs of schools and stakeholders, receptivity to parental/community involvement, volunteerism within the community and educational needs.

Caritas assessments are done primarily through Caritas’s unified database that contains information on each Syrian refugee that approaches Caritas center for assistance. The assessment contains information about health, economic, social, psycho-social, educational and legal status of the refugee. In addition to the field visit report, caseworkers conduct assessments with the help of Syrian refugee volunteers and refer each case to the appropriate Caritas project to get the proper assistance. In addition, Caritas compiles situation reports that are issued monthly and contain the latest political developments, internal affairs and legislation regarding Syrian refugees in Jordan.

Lebanon

NRC conducted an assessment of 30 schools in northern Lebanon hosting Syrian refugees, an assessment of education needs of PRS and participated with other agencies in a Joint Education Needs Assessment for Lebanon. In 2014, they plan to assess informal tented settlements and new schools.

ANERA conducted a needs assessment of PRS in early 2013.5 Currently, ANERA is undertaking an Education Needs Assessment of PRS to survey UNRWA schools, resources and needs of community-based organizations, interventions of NGOs and the UN and the needs of PRS out-of-school and in-school children and parents.

In 2013, OTI conducted an in-depth assessment for public school capacity in villages where the Syrian refugees frequently reside. RET's team in Lebanon conducted a rapid needs and assets assessment mission in March 2013 and the field team is constantly updating and completing the information gathered. Global Communities conducted a rapid needs assessment of Baabda, Aley and Chouf areas in Mt. Lebanon.

IQRA reviewed published statistics and relevant existing data and interviewed local authorities and officials at public schools.

5 "Palestinian Refugees from Syria in Lebanon." American Near East Refugee Aid. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.anera.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/PalestinianRefugeesFromSyriainLebanon.pdf.

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Between October 2012 and April 2013, HWA carried out several initial area assessments in southern Lebanon and the suburbs of Beirut to gauge the scale and needs of Syrian refugees in locations, which have been largely unattended by humanitarian organizations. The assessment methodology utilized a selection of primary data collection tools, including focus group discussions, key informant interviews, household surveys and observation during field visits as well as review and analysis of relevant secondary data. The assessments were partly accompanied by a female Lebanese psychologist who works for HWA in Libya to get an expert-insight of the psycho-social situation of refugees with a special focus on women and girls. After deciding to provide assistance in Burj Hammoud, Beirut, a small-scale quantitative analysis of Syrian families was added in Burj Hammoud.

TDH conducted an initial rapid education assessment in order to identify barriers to education, priority educational needs and actions and areas of needed intervention. TDH then conducted an assessment on beneficiary vulnerabilities in the intervention area. The main objective of the assessment was to develop a more precise understanding of the vulnerabilities of the Syrian refugees residing in Lebanon and to enhance TDH capability to provide relevant and effective assistance to the target population. Syrian families' vulnerabilities have been assessed taking into consideration demographic data and arrival profile of the families, humanitarian assistance received by the refugees, sources of main income, basic needs, housing, education and health assistance needed. Also, Lebanese municipalities’ and public schools' capacities, limitations and needs have been assessed in order to provide an efficient and holistic educational intervention. Moreover, data collection is conducted throughout the project lifecycle.

The World Bank estimates that approximately 90,000 Syrian children are expected to enroll in Lebanese schools during the 2013/2014 school year, with a projected increase to 150,000 individuals in 2014.

Turkey

CRS, in partnership with Caritas Turkey, performed a rapid education assessment in Kirikhan in June of 2013. The assessment found that student access was limited by distance from existing Syrian schools, as well as lack of space in existing schools.

Turkish government authorities get all the information on the education services and barriers through monitoring visits, information from Ministry of Education staff, consultative meetings with stakeholders, coordination meetings and directly from Syrians during support and training activities.

Egypt

UNICEF and UNHCR conducted a joint school needs assessment in five Egyptian governorates. Preliminary findings include insufficient numbers of teachers, desks, blackboards, lab

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equipment, computers and classrooms to absorb additional refugee children. The assessment also identified potential space available for educational use through rehabilitation and refurbishment.6

6 "Syria - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #24." USAID. 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1866/09.24.13%20-%20Syria%20Complex%20Emergency%20Fact%20Sheet%20%2324.pdf.

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Monitoring  and  Evaluation  Processes  Syria

In 2013, SCI utilized monitoring visits by technical staff, weekly reports, photos, beneficiary feedback forms, checklists, complaints mechanism and real time review to monitor and evaluate education activities. They are currently finalizing the monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning plan, which will outline how all indicators for the program will measured, how the information will be collected and who is responsible for doing so.

PIN monitors the type of curriculum followed in the schools, work of the teachers, attendance of children, status of school buildings and consumption of fuel. These aspects are monitored to ensure that all material support provided to the schools is used within the schools in coordination with the Relief Offices on the Local Councils.

SCPN designed special forms to evaluate services and prepare monthly reports. Field visits to communities have been undertaken every three months to provide further training and ensure quality of services. Each group has a code of conduct document that is monitored by an assigned officer in the local community who is in contact with management team on weekly basis.

Iraq

ACTED ensures constant baseline monitoring and evaluation by activity through a special Appraisal, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.

Jordan

WV monitors the daily attendance of children, teachers and administrative staff with attention to dropouts and its reasons. Weekly planning sheets for each teacher help with organization, while monthly exams evaluate children's progress and a checklist for classroom management ensures consistency.

JRS conducted an end-of-term evaluation survey for its education sessions.

NRC’s monitoring and evaluation unit is finalizing the education indicators. NRC is also carrying out a protection assessment in Za’atari Camp and in host communities in both the shelter/NFI distribution and the education programs. War Child conducts internal monitoring and evaluation, as well as ActivityInfo and Regional Response Plan supporting mechanisms. UNESCO conducts structured site visits in order to ensure that delivery targets are met and that the quality of service delivery is of an acceptable level.

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Aliim has created a system of automatic updates fed by the data from a real-time learning system. Their impact evaluations have been mapped out by a team of impact assessment professionals to collect data that measure real learning.

IRD’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) CMP established an M&E system based on a management-by-objectives approach. Programmatic activities and financial data in the schools were monitored by CMP project staff during site visits and tracked in the project reporting system. The project gathered data from three primary sources: 1) monthly CPSC focal point reports, 2) focus groups and 3) surveys of students, parents and teachers. The school focal points submitted updated reports to the CMP team quarterly, documenting levels of extracurricular programs implemented, school improvements, volunteer hours and number of participants in CPSC-led activities. The CMP team verified the data and cross-checked it using the Activity Log. The log enabled staff to track the unique number of beneficiaries, extracurricular activities, contributions and meetings. The Activity Log also enabled stakeholders to review the data through user-friendly interface. The Activity Log Tool added effectiveness to the project monitoring and evaluation processes and documented activities and data in an easy, secure and accurate manner.

Caritas monitoring processes are conducted by the educational unit team through regular field visits by Caritas teams and donors, midterm and final reporting to donors, regular meetings and feedback from all stakeholders. Pre- and post-exams are conducted as evaluations for students.

Lebanon

NRC has an education database for follow-up. In addition, education staff monitor and support teachers NRC employs with learning support activities in schools and community centers. LSESD regularly monitors attendance and academic progress, interviews program staff and hosts discussions to elicit feedback from families. UNDP evaluated training effectiveness at the conclusion of each training. OTI monitors the quality of teaching and shares evaluations with directors, students and Lebanese and Syrian parents. IQRA facilitated external evaluations of projects in 2012 and 2013 and uses internal monitoring and evaluation tools for students and teachers.

HWA uses a detailed monitoring plan including indicator-based monitoring sheets and bi-weekly narrative reports from the Lebanon office. These act as the basis to follow up on constant activities and progress, set necessary steering measures, report deviations and find solutions to problems. In addition, the project partner submits monthly financial and narrative reports on the progress of activities and difficulties. The HWA Project Manager is in charge of carrying out a final impact evaluation to analyze if the intended effects have been achieved and to put results into focus. Recently, HWA has increasingly applied impact assessments in its humanitarian activities due to the fact that humanitarian system remains largely ignorant of affected people’s views about the assistance being provided.

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Turkey

In 2014, CRS plans to roll out a robust monitoring system of education activities in Kirikhan. The UN/UNICEF has only officially started implementing education activities in 2013, so programs and activities have not yet been evaluated, though formal evaluation is planned. UNICEF is also in the process of setting up a web-based/IT monitoring system with the Ministry of Education.

 

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Access  and  Learning  Environment  Syria

SCI focuses on promoting understanding amongst the community regarding the importance of equal access. SCI organizes messages and trainings on child and teacher well-being. The INEE Minimum Standards and the INEE Guidance Notes on Safer School Construction are used for guidance on space rehabilitation.

In 2013, PIN focused on gender equality with the majority of the teachers supported (266 of 400) and pupils composed of women and girls. PIN is currently working to guarantee access to disabled children in one school in Allepo. PIN also repairs temporary learning spaces and facilities and provides heating, preventing dropout due to cold weather.

SCPN ensures that all centers and activities include boys and girls. The only documentation required for enrollment is an identification document and consent letter from parents. The centers focus on primary students and no fees are required. SCPN also provides stationary and clothes to encourage parents to send and keep their children in school.

Assessments conducted by UNHCR/UNICEF and UNHCR/UNESCO have found that up to 92% of Syrian refugee students are not attending school and that the currently available schools could accommodate about a third of the un-enrolled refugee students. UNHCR has developed a mass information campaign involving Syrian refugee and non-Syrian volunteers from the local community to support the ‘Back to School’ campaign that aims to ensure increased enrolment in school for Syrian refugee children living outside camps. Nonetheless, investments in school infrastructure and facilities will need to be made to enable access to education for all Syrian refugee children.7

UNHCR has registered approximately 30,000 registered Syrian refugees who are school aged; 50% of those are currently enrolled. To boost enrollment, UNHCR provides Syrian refugee children with grants to help cover school fees, uniforms, books, stationary, and transportation.8

The Netherlands Red Cross has donated 2,464 school kits to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. Most of the items will be distributed outside the capital, but the first batch was delivered by the Red Crescent to the children in two shelters for internally displaced people.9

7 "Syrian Crisis in Iraq: Weekly Update." UNHCR. 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/download.php?id=2965. 8 "Syria - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #24." USAID. 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1866/09.24.13%20-%20Syria%20Complex%20Emergency%20Fact%20Sheet%20%2324.pdf. 9 "Supporting Children in Syria to Return to School." IFRC. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/news-stories/middle-east-and-north-africa/syria/supporting-children-in-syria-to-return-to-school-63453/.

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In 2013, IOCC worked with the Syrian Ministry of Education and community-based organizations to rehabilitate and repair schools in Bekaa and Beirut to accommodate the influx of refugee children joining local students.10

Iraq

ACTED held a training on child-friendly inclusive spaces and planned activities with all children with attention to awareness on promoting inclusion, gender balance, equal access and training in disability and inclusion.

SCI is working on the provision of additional learning spaces in urban areas in response to the influx of Syrian refugee children and youth and the already crowded schools or insufficient number of schools. The spaces will be pre-fabricated containers often used in this context. Desks and chairs, heat/ac, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities (toilets and hand washing) and whiteboards are also included.

As part of the education sector strategy to promote education and enable safe spaces for children, the Danish Relief Committee (DRC) rehabilitated four schools in Homs and is assessing nine schools in Damascus for blast film. Action Contre la Faim (ACF), supported by UNICEF, completed the assessment of nine schools in preparation of planned rehabilitation. DRC has organized remedial classes for 6,500 children in 17 schools in Damascus, Hama, Homs and Rural Damascus. As part of the Back to Learning campaign, UNICEF has distributed more than 34,000 posters and flyers to raise awareness on school registration. The on-going campaign has so far benefited 756,000 children in all governorates, except Al Hassakeh, with school bags, 154,000 children with school supplies, 250,000 children with recreational kits and 30,000 pre-school children with early childhood development materials. Additional school supplies were distributed to 28,000 children in Homs.11

Jordan

WV supports transportation for children who have mobility challenges and those who live far from facilities. They are also mobilizing communities to encourage girls' enrollment. The JRS home visit teams in Amman, Irbid and Ramtha target vulnerable refugees in host communities, referring particular vulnerable cases to education activities with JRS and other agencies or to formal education programs. In 2014, War Child is planning on providing school transportation to children with disabilities in Za'atari Camp to improve educational access.

UNESCO ensures that participants in all programs are split equally between boys and girls. Syrian recruiters work closely with parents, communities and children to ensure the equitable

10 "Supporting Children in Syria to Return to School." IFRC. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/news-stories/middle-east-and-north-africa/syria/supporting-children-in-syria-to-return-to-school-63453/. 11 "Humanitarian Bulletin: Syrian Arab Republic." OCHA. 2 Dec. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Syria%20Humanitarian%20Bulletin%20No%2038.pdf.

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participation of boys and girls. Wherever possible, implementation sites that are accessible to those with disabilities are chosen. Protection issues, such as early marriage and child labor, are integrated into the content of programming for both informal and non-formal education and youth mentoring.

Edukans works to include a selection of vulnerable children and youth. Both boys and girls have access, though demand is overwhelmingly higher than the capacity provided by education service providers.

In 2014, Aliim's smartphone schools program for Syrian refugees will work with community leaders in order to identify Child Friendly Spaces as a way to ensure students are protected in their learning environment. Psycho-social support through community participation and support from mentors can help students improve their well-being beyond the basic benefits of continued learning. Aliim programs are designed for students, especially girls, to have access to educational opportunities even in their homes. This will help overcome barriers to learning that involve transportation issues, safety concerns and the need for children to help at home.

In Jordan, IOCC is working towards equal access by outfitting more than 30,000 Syrian refugee children with new school uniforms required to enroll in Jordan's public schools.12 13

UNICEF established three schools in Za’atari Camp and is managing these schools in cooperation with the Jordanian Ministry of Education. Save the Children-Jordan is in the process of enrolling students in these schools. The Kuwaiti government is planning to establish another two schools managed by UNICEF and MOE.

IRD worked on physical school improvements. A common feature of many schools in Jordan is the lack of any aesthetic quality. In some schools, the environment is even a hindrance to learning. Community School Improvement Plans (C-SIPs) include school gardening and general school improvement and maintenance activities. Some of the CMP schools have lots allocated for school gardens, but these are generally left unkempt. School gardening is a good opportunity for student and community involvement and several CPSCs have included this activity in their plans.

Caritas projects secure access to educational activities through secure transportation to all enrolled students in educational activities implemented in different parts in Jordan (Amman, Madaba, Karak, Zarqa, Irbid and Mafraq), securing medical and psycho-social assistance to any student in need or any of their family through Caritas medical and psycho-social units and securing humanitarian assistance to ensure that basic needs are met. Caritas also provides protected safe places to implement activities, supplies all educational materials needed for

12 "Emergency Support For Students From Syria." Institute of International Education. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/IIENetwork/Emergency-Support-For-Students-From-Syria. 13 "The Future Threatened For Syria's School Children." International Orthodox Christian Charities. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.iocc.org/news/10-2-13syria.aspx.

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assigned activities, eliminates restrictions on the availability of documents and modifies the curriculum according to the context (e.g. Syrian students don't need to study the history of Jordan, so the material is omitted).

Lebanon

The Ministry of Education has indicated that the public school system does not have enough capacity to host the additional number of pupils and a lack of space in local schools is one of the main barriers to education for Syrian children.

Transportation is key for access to education in many locations in Lebanon. NRC ensures that all programs provide for transport for children living as far as 3km from the schools. In addition, NRC offers flexible learning opportunities at community centers, allowing for children and youth to access these courses depending on times of their choice.

LSESD has chosen participating students from vulnerable Syrian refugee communities with the aim of improving their access to education. The development of a child protection policy is in progress.

In 2014, ANERA will determine an access policy based on needs assessment results. This policy will probably include help with transportation to school, remedial education support, school feeding, rehabilitation and maintenance of education premises, local human resources in education and access for children with disabilities.

OTI equips public schools that will be used by the government and UN agencies to accommodate Syrian students. RET is waiting for its donor's feedback to launch projects aiming to ensure equal access and completion of quality and relevant education to youth affected by the conflict. This will include both Syrians and Lebanese, with a particular focus on vulnerable women.

IQRA is conducting outreach activities to as many out-of-school children and struggling learners in public schools as possible. They are conducting awareness and training sessions for teachers as well as learners' parents on active learning and on the well-being of children. IQRA is ensuring a safe and enabling environment inside classrooms, monitoring the execution of programs and ensuring the implementation of all activities related to maintain standards as well as quality of services.

HWA has proposed activities that will directly target both the issue of traumatization from war experiences and displacement, as well as offer the children a place outside their homes where they often suffer from stress due the unsafe living conditions in host settlements and the elevated levels of domestic violence. The most vulnerable are the elderly, women and young children. Mothers and female caretakers will be invited to attend awareness-raising activities on basic hygiene, health and nutrition of children and babies in displaced context. They will also be

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guided to entrusted organizations in order to get registered and benefit from safe services. HWA commits to an inclusive development approach ensuring that persons with disabilities are accepted as equal partners in development and included as full participants in all activities. As part of the awareness raising activities, gender mainstreaming is essential and an attempt is being made to move forward and improve the situation of women, guiding them on protection matters and allowing them to educate themselves and their families and friends.

To ensure equal and free access to quality education, TDH will provide project beneficiaries with educational material, transportation and insurance. It will financially support targeted public schools covering the required human resources costs, running costs, parents committee and school funds. Given the quality of education as a high priority commitment, trainings on active learning methodologies, positive discipline and child protection have been provided to teachers and educators focusing on the basic elements of the psychology of child development, the concept of inclusive education, creative thinking, practical tools to support children with learning difficulties and positive classroom management. Collective psycho-social support sessions are combined with recreational activities and provided to the project beneficiaries in the selected schools.

NRC is working to support school attendance through financing registration fees, cash grants and transport costs, teacher training, focusing on the particular needs of children who may have been affected by the conflict and who are certainly unfamiliar with the Lebanese education system, learning support and accelerated learning programs.

In Saida, UNRWA students, including PRS, received new ‘Back-to-School’ kits from representatives of UNRWA, UNICEF and the European Union. The kits contain useful stationery items the students can use throughout the school year. A total of 40,000 agency students from 69 UNRWA schools across Lebanon will receive the kits.14

Turkey

In 2014, CRS plans to expand options that currently exist and increase transport options for students who live far from education opportunities.

Egypt

The Egyptian Ministry of Education announced that Syrian refugee children will have the same access to education as Egyptian children for the 2013/2014 school year. According to the

14 Niles, Chris. "Amid an Uncertain Future, Syrian Children Attend a Newly Opened School in Iraq's Baherka Refugee Camp." UNICEF. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/iraq_70564.html.

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Egyptian government, estimates provided in June 2013, 250,000 to 300,000 Syrians currently reside in Egypt, of whom more than 104,000 are currently registered.15

 

15 "Syria - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #24." USAID. 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1866/09.24.13%20-%20Syria%20Complex%20Emergency%20Fact%20Sheet%20%2324.pdf.

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Teaching  and  Learning  Syria

SCI has planned many trainings to build the capacity of teachers, including education in emergencies (EiE) introduction, classroom management and psychological first aid. The curriculum was chosen by community members and teachers. Peer-to-peer learning methodologies will be utilized to promote wellbeing and professional development. There are regular regional calls with education advisers to discuss the issues around teaching and learning in order to share materials and learn from one another. These issues are also discussed during coordination meetings.

UNRWA focuses on the experience of making individual learning materials under the motto "No One is Left Behind." These materials enable learners and teachers to cooperate on daily basis in developing skills. In 2013, UNRWA trained teachers and produced self-learning materials for all students from the first through ninth grades which may be used for all subjects inside or outside classrooms with the help of parents or teachers. With support from the Syrian Ministry of Education, UNRWA has been able to reach 26,000 students in Syria. The Ministry provided 28 school buildings in Damascus and Dera’a where UNRWA can offer afternoon classes. An additional 20 government school buildings in areas where Palestinian refugees have relocated are also being used by the program. Around 10,000 students have been absorbed, the majority of them displaced from Yarmouk, where 29 UNRWA schools closed. 2,000 students had to stay in Yarmouk, but UNRWA has supported local community institutions to enable them to continue learning, with programs following up on the learning processes and examinations.16

In 2013, a summer learning program organized by UNRWA emergency staff, the General Authority for Palestinian Arab Refugees and other local bodies for the benefit of 5,000 students unable to access their schools managed to arrange for 161 9th grade and 151 12th grade students from Yarmouk to be able to take their government examinations.17

PIN works in an emergency situation in a very volatile environment, especially in Aleppo city, where there is a high presence of armed groups and frequent attacks by warplanes on civilian targets. In these environments, different political and/or religious actors compete to support schools. In such a context, education remains a very sensitive issue, if not the most sensitive one. For this reason, PIN does not address the curriculum, which is very close to the "pre-revolutionary” one. PIN continues coordination with civil administration entities, but not with political or religious actors, which guarantees local acceptance for PIN activities. PIN started a new project in both Aleppo and Rif Idlib mainly focused on training teachers in EiE using a training-of-trainers approach. 16 "Education in Syria." UNRWA. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.unrwa.org/activity/education-syria. 17 "Education in Syria." UNRWA. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.unrwa.org/activity/education-syria.

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SCPN designed an accelerated curriculum that covers basic subjects and adapted it to the needs of the community. In some cases, parts of the curriculum were removed that were related to political conflict. This was based on recommendations of local community members. Trainers will train teachers on child protection, communication with children and helping-the-helper. All staff must attend child protection training and sign a code of conduct. SCPN used projectors in some centers to overcome the problem of not having enough student textbooks. Students depend on notes they take as well as printouts. However, the textbooks are only used in class. At the end of each module (3 months), an assessment is done to evaluate progress of students and develop improved instruction methods.

UN agencies have installed Child Friendly Spaces in 16 camps and trained 1,232 teachers in the Child Friendly Schools methodology and INEE Minimum Standards.18

IOCC is helping displaced Syrian schoolchildren catch up with classwork via newly established remedial primary and secondary level classes. The classes give children who have fallen behind due to the conflict a chance to complete their year-end exams and avoid missing an entire school year. More than 550 children are already participating in the program.19

In internally displaced persons shelters in Damascus, more than 1,700 adolescents attended UNICEF supported life skills training and more than 1,200 youth participated in vocational awareness, communication and financial skills training in Aleppo. 2,000 Palestinian refugees across seven governorates benefitted from life skills training related to gender-based violence and adolescent health.20

In Northern Syria, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is providing education services in safe healing and learning spaces for 10,000 children across 10 camps where children receive education and psycho-social support. With stable security, IRC hopes to start similar programming in Eastern Syria. IRC also implements child protection programs in IDP camps in Northern Syria, in refugee camps in Jordan and Iraq and in urban settings in Lebanon. The child protection programs provide case management, appropriate care and psycho-social support to children affected by the conflict as well as to their caregivers to support children in recovering from violence, building their resilience and connecting them to available services. IRC provides direct services, refers children to other service providers as needed and builds the capacity of a range of child protection service providers. The IRC is reaching at least 30,000 vulnerable Syrian children directly and indirectly with programs across these countries and are aiming to bring these programs to scale.

18 "Syria - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #24." USAID. 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1866/09.24.13%20-%20Syria%20Complex%20Emergency%20Fact%20Sheet%20%2324.pdf. 19 "The Future Threatened For Syria's School Children." International Orthodox Christian Charities. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.iocc.org/news/10-2-13syria.aspx. 20 "Humanitarian Bulletin: Syrian Arab Republic." OCHA. 2 Dec. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Syria%20Humanitarian%20Bulletin%20No%2038.pdf.

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Iraq

ACTED aims to enhance the well-being of 11,730 vulnerable Syrian refugee children and youth affected by the conflict through the construction of one Child Friendly Space, one Youth Friendly Space, one Child Protection Unit and the establishment of ten mobile Emergency Protection Units. These outreach activities will be supported with 10 trainings for 200 peer educators from the youth population, 100 awareness sessions and 1,500 awareness leaflets on education, protection and peace-building topics, along with capacity building on child protection for authorities. A total of 44,270 other children will indirectly benefit from this program.21 In addition, ACTED will create two Child Friendly Spaces to organize lessons for children of the Domiz refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan. These Child Friendly Spaces will enable some 7,000 children and youth to benefit from educational and recreational services in specifically designed spaces.22

ACTED is also considering additional child protection activities and non-formal education, including information technology and catch-up classes. Curriculum has been established with input from teachers and students at the University of Duhok.

UNICEF is providing schooling for more than 5,000 children in the Erbil region in Grades 1–9. More than 800 children are being educated in Baherka.23

SCI in Iraq is conducting teacher training on a variety of topics ranging from health, hygiene and psycho-social support, which is integrated with child centered methodologies for those teachers who will be teaching in these learning spaces. The government will recruit and pay teachers, preferably Syrian teachers. The teacher training consists of an initial training followed by two refreshers and the creation of a teacher circle/peer network for on-going support.

Within the Kurdish Region of Iraq, 90% of Syrian refugee children and youth are out of school. IRC is planning to expand its current programs in the Kurdish Region of Iraq to reach 7,200 refugee children and youth in this academic school year. IRC is implementing a comprehensive education program that is aimed at improved student well-being and learning, with a focus on foundational skills of reading and math.

Jordan

In 2013, WV coordinated with national partners that have good experience in training teachers to provide 5-10 days training for recruited teachers in pedagogy, psycho-social support and child protection. 21 "Improving Child and Youth Protection among Conflict-affected Syrian Refugees." ACTED. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.acted.org/en/improving-child-and-youth-protection-among-conflict-affected-syrian-refugees. 22 "Support to Syrian Child Refugees in the Domiz Camp." ACTED. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.acted.org/en/support-syrian-child-refugees-domiz-camp. 23 Niles, Chris. "Amid an Uncertain Future, Syrian Children Attend a Newly Opened School in Iraq's Baherka Refugee Camp." UNICEF. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/iraq_70564.html.

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The British Council is currently providing a 4-month training for 20 JRS informal education teachers at the JRS community center in East Amman, Ashrafiyeh. Over 10 trainings have been conducted by the Center for Victims of Teachers and International Medical Corps for JRS teachers in psycho-social care, dealing with trauma and self-care.

In 2013, NRC developed training packages for Syrian teachers in collaboration with the Queen Rania Teacher Academy. NRC is also providing programs for youth, including vocational training, life-skills and awareness rising activates. These activities for Syrian refugee children and youth are currently provided from NRC centers in Za’atari Camp. In 2014, NRC will replicate this program in both the new Azraq Camp and the Emiratee Jordanian Camp. NRC conducted trainings for key and higher-level education staff from the Jordanian Ministry of Education and a range of UN and NGO partners on the INEE Minimum Standards, providing enhanced capacity in dealing with the urgent educational needs of Syrian refugee children. 24

SCI is training kindergarten teachers and child and youth counselors in Za’atari Camp. SCI is providing informal education for dropout students and out-of-school children and youth. SCI established three kindergartens and early childhood care and development centers along with 23 Child Friendly Spaces implementing child protection, parent-child centers, recreational and resiliency programs in the camps. SCI is currently working in two camps, Za’atari Camp and King Abdulla Park Camp, as well as providing informal education in host communities. SCI is concentrating on the North Region based on the high density of Syrian Refugees; working in Ramtha, Irbid, Mafraq, Central region in Amman and Zarqa, and in South region at Al Karak. General activities are provided in the host communities concentrating on child led approach through child-to-child sessions conducted in schools or in Child Friendly Spaces established by SCI. They are also providing training sessions for the students about resiliency and child protection and are training caregivers and teachers on the importance of education and developmental norms of children and adolescents.

UNESCO, through its implementing partner, the Queen Rania Teacher Academy, is providing training to 2,000 teachers in Jordanian schools that host large numbers of Syrian refugees. A 30-hour program focuses on the provision of psycho-social support and the use of innovative and responsive pedagogies that take into account the different learning needs that may exist in the same classroom. By promoting the quality of teaching in schools with mixed populations of Syrian and Jordanian children, this project aims to benefit displaced Syrian children as well as Jordanian children attending schools overstrained by the influx of Syrian students. Jordanian teachers, school supervisors and principals will also benefit from the trainings with upgraded skills and strategies for teaching based on internationally recognized standards for education in

24 "Syria Refugee Response." Norwegian Refugee Council. 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.nrc.no/arch/_img/9681117.pdf.

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emergency and post-conflict situations as provided by the INEE Minimum Standards.25 UNESCO is also offering demand-driven informal and non-formal education programs and vocational skills development opportunities for Syrian youth inside the refugee camps and for Jordanian and Syrian youth in urban areas.26 Edukans will provide training to staff and animators in psycho-social support, peace education and child protection in 2014.

Aliim uses the national curricula (Jordanian, Lebanese, or Turkish, depending on location of activities) as a base for learning materials. Instruction methods and assessments vary in order to incorporate different learning styles. A suite of apps with various instruction and assessment tools (video sharing, e-books, podcasts, homework sharing, games, etc.) will support student-centered, peer-to-peer and instructor-student learning models. Instant feedback from mobile learning tools will enable students to keep track of their learning progress. Perhaps more important is the feedback from peers and mentors through homework sharing apps and learning management system.

UNICEF, the Ministry of Education and Save the Children Jordan have established temporary learning spaces in Za’atari Camp consisting of 14 tent classrooms which are arranged in a compound. 2,200 children are attending the new school in two shifts – girls in the morning and boys in the afternoon. Children are being taught the Jordanian curriculum by Jordanian teachers recruited through the country’s temporary teaching roster. UNICEF plans to increase the capacity of the learning spaces to accommodate 5,000. The total number of schools planned as the camp expands is four to accommodate up to 20,000 students. UNICEF is also conducting an awareness campaign on the importance of going to school by going tent-to-tent in the camp.27

UNICEF, in cooperation with its partners in Za’atari Camp, is providing 9 youth-friendly spaces and playgrounds, 27 Child Friendly Spaces and running 2 schools that host 12,000 children. A total of 1,300 Syrian students residing in Jordan will sit for their high school examinations. The exams will take place in several Ministry of Education departments and in cooperation with the Higher Examination Committee affiliated with the Syrian National Coalition. UNICEF will also focus on introducing 2,080 students to different educational approaches, enrolling 700 Syrian students in informal education classes and activities, registering 300 Jordanian students in intensive education courses and linking 600 Syrian students at risk of dropout with informal education activities. 300 people (ages 15-40) will also be connected with life-skills training and

25 "Emergency Education Response to Syrian Refugees in Jordan." UNESCO. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/amman/education/technical-vocational-education-training/emergency-education-response-to-syrian-refugees-in-jordan/. 26 "Emergency Education Response to Syrian Refugees in Jordan." UNESCO. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/amman/education/technical-vocational-education-training/emergency-education-response-to-syrian-refugees-in-jordan/. 27 ActionAid Needs Assessment

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30 people with disabilities will be engaged through therapy education for the disabled. Finally, 150 children (4-5 years) will be enrolled in pre-school kindergarten learning.28

Caritas has embarked on receiving kindergarten early learners, assisting mothers to provide those with early skills that can help them in the higher educational levels and increase the knowledge of mothers on how to use proper means in raising their children. This project is currently implemented in cooperation with Caritas Germany and supported by Caritas local partners and charity schools. Kindergarten pre-schooling learning has become one of the integral parts of a learning process that Caritas is offering to poor Syrians. Refugee children don’t have opportunities to be enrolled in kindergarten learning in Jordan because this type of education is not available in public schools, where Syrian refugees’ children receive free education. Moreover, this type of education is carried out by private schools and institutions, which are not affordable to many Syrian refugees. The learning process through setting up pre-school kindergartens extends knowledge to infants, thus gradually preparing them for formal education, learning alphabets, geometric and stories telling, dances, songs and poems. These activities are also extended to disabled students who are facing learning hindrances and cognitive challenges. Caritas Jordan provides them with educational therapy, physiotherapy in addition to awareness for parents on how to deal and react with their children needs and performances. The classes, the playgrounds, yards and amenities of each school in Latin and Melkite charity schools are allocated for the activities.

Caritas ensures quality teaching and learning process by conducting teacher training, providing the curricula, and providing extra curriculum activities and material (puppet shows, Legos, storytelling, etc.). The following academic activities provide an overview of Caritas learning initiatives:

1. Group tutoring non-formal education to vulnerable Iraqi students at the age of 6-16, who are enrolled in the Jordanian public schools but find difficulties in grasping proper academic acquisition; it has also an interactive learning aspect as entertainment activities are carried out by project workers and beneficiaries. Main topics like English, Math and Arabic are taught in private schools, performed by Iraqi Volunteer teachers who are keen to acquaint Iraqi children with the Jordanian Curriculum prerequisites and help them alleviate illiteracy.

2. Providing vocational training to Iraqi youth and women; helping them enhance certain skills like computer, graphics, and English language;

3. Education to Iraqi, Syrian and Jordanian students aged 6-16 with an aim to enhance school readiness and decrease the dropout rates from the formal schools system. Some disabled Iraqi students had been also provided with therapies, physiotherapy, and parents’ awareness sessions. It had also raised the capacity of teachers and acquainted them with

28 Caritas Sit-rep

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certain skills like classroom management and literacy program, carrying out entertainment activities.

4. Children are benefiting from activities that support psycho-social development and integration in public schools. Improved academics alone do not ensure that children will remain and enroll in formal school. Caritas also provides psycho-social support to children to help them address the lasting psychological effects of conflict and displacement so they are better prepared to function in their host communities and eventually, when they return to Syria. Caritas provides Child-Friendly Spaces and other structured play opportunities throughout the school year and during the summer.

5. Caritas also provides pre-kindergarten classes to children aged 4-5 in each of its targeted education centers. These classes emphasize holistic early child development, and make it more likely that they will be ready to enter formal schools at an appropriate age. Caritas has identified areas of concern based on registration data and information from its volunteer committees and local charities. These expansions are facilitated through an memorandum of understanding with all Latin, Orthodox, and Melkite schools in Jordan, which states that Caritas may host education activities after normal school hours in any school across the country. Thus, Caritas has the capacity to open education centers for refugees in any parish on short notice if a particular need is identified.

IRD worked on a wide range of training and learning interventions. Several of the communities in which the CMP program is currently involved are low-income communities. Of those urban communities, many are surrounded by small and micro businesses, many of which are run and operated by parents of CMP school students. CPSCs have been able to institute innovative vocational program partnerships within the CPSC extra-curricular programming and summer program. IRD has implemented the following projects:

• Joint Parent-Child Learning: These activities are focused on improving educational standards through greater parental involvement in child education. Examples of these activities include: tutorial sessions, parent participation in the kindergarten, regular parent-school meetings and the opportunities for the students to exhibit work to their parents during the open days. Such activities ensure that the program is not only focused on greater school-community partnerships, but on higher educational standards, which is the desired long term achievement of the program.

• Summer Camp: The CMP team organized a training of trainers for the establishment of a summer camp in each CMP school in the summer of 2009. The participants were trained in personal skill-building and team building through boot-camp exercises and games. The CMP trained 325 children, parents and teachers from 65 CMP schools, who in turn instituted a summer camp program in their respective schools. The summer camp initiated by CMP has served as an impetus for further summer camp activities initiated by the community and the parents.

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• Homework Village: At Othman Iban Affan Basic Boys School, a new and interesting initiative called “Homework Village” was introduced. In collaboration with the West and East Center for Human Development and the Danish project leaders, three teachers volunteered to attend a cultural exchange program in Denmark. This experience enabled them to gain new perspective in terms of using the school’s facilities during after school hours and engaging students to complete their homework and participate in extracurricular activities. They targeted students of both genders from first through fourth grade. The CMP team has been supportive of this initiative by engaging volunteers from the CPSC’s members. Currently, CMP is working to expand the Homework Village activity to all CMP schools.

Based on needs and priorities identified by the Needs Assessment and the Community Profiles, IRD will tailor capacity building of CPSCs and other key community stakeholders. Training provided will promote the development of advocacy, accountability, transparency and fundraising; and build healthy parent/community/school relations, management and utilization of school spaces. CPSC training will cover the following topics: organizational capacity building, planning for development of Community School Improvement and Extra-Curricular Activity Plans, communicating effectively, fundraising for CPSC training, school fundraising, networking within the community, income-generation project and book accounting. In the target schools, IRD also conducted training on the maintenance and care of the school facilities, encouraging CPSCs to use schools and resources, as well as student volunteers, to maintain the schools. These training programs focused on providing solutions aimed at reducing vandalism and raising resources for physical school improvements. IRD will provide training for teachers on topics including community involvement in the classroom and the use of community resource in the classroom. Training will also be provided for marginalized students and will empower students by building their personal capacities and self-confidence and giving them opportunities to be leaders in school activities.

A group of community members of the Al-Bnayat School CPSC identified a need to improve students’ Arabic reading and writing skills. They designed an after-school Arabic language program where teachers and parents volunteered to support approximately 50 under-performing students from grades four, five and six. However, the students continued performing below grade-level, necessitating a more advanced reading enforcement program that was beyond the capacity of the teachers and parents at the school. CMP collaborated with the Drive-to-Read program, a USAID funded project to build a reading culture among the children of Jordan and develop children’s reading skills. An expert from this program provided eight training sessions to four teachers and five mothers, teaching them to evaluate student language skills, teach the students the alphabet and encourage them to read. Initially, 16 students were selected to attend Reading Enforcement courses during school hours. In order to reach the remaining students, the teachers and mothers who completed their training transferred their knowledge to other

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interested members of the community and school staff and administered the literacy program to the rest of the students.

Lebanon

NRC provides learning support for all refugee students aged 6-16 years old, in addition to vocational training for youth and mothers. NRC Lebanon is now in the process of setting up a technical unit within the education program. The unit will be responsible for development of tools, manuals, training of teachers and support.

LSESD educational programming for Syrian refugee students uses the established Syrian curriculum, instruction method and testing of learning outcomes. Students completed an entrance exam to determine suitability for the program and academic level. Teachers from the Syrian refugee community who have experience with the Syrian curriculum were hired.

In 2013, ANERA conducted capacity building for remedial teachers in partner community-based organizations around teaching methodology, organizational skills and technical training in specific subjects. ANERA also developed a curriculum model for vocational training and remedial education in Lebanon's Palestinian camps. A study and analysis of Lebanese and Syrian curriculum to elaborate remedial education curriculum for PRS is planned.

IQRA has trained teachers on class management and conducting active learning classes. Additional project initiatives include ALP, training parents on supporting their children, providing psycho social support, conducting summer camp programs and appointing independent evaluators for projects. They have also trained teachers on balanced literacy, the importance of differentiated learning, responsive classrooms and classroom management. Teachers host literacy classes and provide psycho-social support as well as other various activities that support the character building of children.

UNDP has conducted trainings on peace building, including communication skills, dealing with differences and conflict resolution.

HWA has provided Syrian and host community children aged 7-15 years an Accelerated Learning Program that is adopted by the Ministry of Education and Education Working Group that will offer them a non-formal schooling system to motivate and engage them emotionally and mentally. HWA organized accelerated learning program training sessions for educators and sessions to improve their capacity on handling GBV, case management and referral systems.

TDH follows the curricula established by Lebanese national institutions in collaboration with UNICEF and UNESCO. Instructors provided beneficiaries with accelerated learning programs and received trainings on Active Learning Methodologies and Positive Discipline focusing on the basic elements of the psychology of child development, the concept of inclusive education, creative thinking and participatory approach. On-the-job trainings on positive discipline aim to

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unify the instructors' vision, increasing their knowledge and building capacity and skills based on child-centered pedagogy. Learning outcomes are assessed by means of pre- and post- evaluation tests and data collected are elaborated using the TDH grading system and Learning Improvements Database. Cognitive and social-emotional development of project beneficiaries is also monitored during the learning activities.

In 2013, Sonbola provided non-formal education to Syrian children who have been deprived from education for at least the last two years. Their intervention targets camps in the region of Bekaa. It utilizes a comprehensive and holistic approach that aims to provide educational support in basic subject areas (math, Arabic and English) in addition to art and music as part of the psycho-social support program. Moreover, young Syrian professionals left with no jobs and acting as teachers will also cover early childhood development, hygiene and public health. A Learning Mobile Unit, a mini-van, caries the teachers two- to four-times per week to cover two camps in the region of Bekaa. A mobile library is also included in this Learning Mobile Unit.

Only 20 percent of the Syrian refugee children are going to school. In response, IRC has developed an innovative community-based strategy to provide immediate, safe education to highly vulnerable out-of-school children. This strategy is designed to meet the specific education needs of Syrian children without overextending and compromising quality within the Lebanese education system. IRC is beginning a pilot of its community based education approach with 4,200 students in the next few months with the expectation to expand that to 42,000 by next September.

Turkey

In 2014, CRS plans to implement pedagogy training for teachers, curricula subject area development trainings, classroom management trainings and protection and psycho-social issue trainings. Learning outcomes are to be assessed through end of year exam result monitoring, post training exam and follow up on the use of new knowledge obtained by teachers through classroom observations.

UNICEF is currently focusing on camp teachers, but will focus soon on host community teachers as well. They are training and supporting 2,000 teachers with regular one-day training sessions on topics identified by Syrian teachers. UNICEF is supporting the government with a policy that allows a Syrian curriculum to be used in Turkey.

UN agencies have installed Child Friendly Spaces in 16 camps and trained 1,232 teachers in Child Friendly Schools methodology and the INEE Minimum Standards.29

29 "Syria - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #24." USAID. 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1866/09.24.13%20-%20Syria%20Complex%20Emergency%20Fact%20Sheet%20%2324.pdf.

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Teachers  and  Other  Educational  Personnel    Syria

In 2013, SCI conducted teacher interviews that included EiE specific topics. Teacher behaviors on disciplining children were central questions in the interviews to see the gaps of teaching techniques. Announcements for recruitment are made through the local councils.

UNRWA has organized school-based teacher development courses and Teachers as Future Leaders courses for supervisors and head teachers. In 2014, UNRWA plans to recruit 35 psycho-social counselors.30

PIN doesn't recruit teachers or establish schools, but supports already existing ones funded by the community through the local councils. Teachers are selected by headmasters and PIN then provides a fixed amount of money per month according to the number of hours they work. Due to the emergency situation, this payment of salaries for teachers is considered a Cash-for-Work strategy.

SCPN is working on establishing a training center to train nearly qualified teachers who are undergraduates and did not get the chance to complete their studies. The program is one year in duration and aims to graduate 500 teachers per year. Teachers get a monthly salary ($100-120) and training certificates to ensure proper professional development as well as growth of character.

Iraq

ACTED conducts surveys through community interviews, which the Appraisal, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer monitors to better understand teacher performance and student/parent satisfaction.

Jordan

WV recruitment criteria adheres to in-country teacher qualification requirements. Teacher-to-student ratios do not exceed 1:20. One supervisor provides support and guidance on a daily basis for 10 teachers. JRS uses expertise of volunteer refugee teachers. NRC has been active in selecting Syrian teachers to assist Jordanian teachers in formal schools and to work in informal education programs. Selection criteria have been shared with UNICEF and education partners. SCI has conducted recruitments of kindergarten teachers and child/youth counselors for Child Friendly Spaces and Youth Spaces in Za’atari Camp.

30 "Education in Syria." UNRWA. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.unrwa.org/activity/education-syria.

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UNESCO does not recruit teachers/educators, but is providing training to 450 Ministry of Education officials to enable them to provide teacher training to assist with response to psycho-social and pedagogic needs, including teaching mixed classes of refugee and host community children. The process will strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Education to respond to the needs of refugee children.

In 2014, Aliim will use a real-time learning system that monitors student data and notifies program staff, instructors and mentors when a student is struggling with a certain concept. This model uses a learning management system, a cloud database, customized apps, and dashboards to monitor learning. We will recruit qualified students volunteers from top universities around the world to help our program participants with feedback on assignments, explain difficult concepts and give encouragement. Aliim staff will train learning supervisors that watch over the children in the community to make sure they students properly use smartphones and are spending their time on the educational apps. Program staff can also monitor the activities on each smartphone remotely.

Lebanon

NRC tries as much as possible in community centers to recruit teachers from refugee communities as well as the host community. Teachers are compensated equally based on standards developed by the Education Working Group. In addition, NRC provides teacher training and resource kits for teachers working as part of its program.

In 2013, LSESD teaching staff were selected from experienced teachers in the Syrian refugee population in the community. In the hiring process, potential teachers underwent a process of interviews and testing. Teachers are supported by the director of the program as well as a part-time office administrator. ANERA provides capacity building to partners on management and organizational skills, as well as financial support to local organizations to recruit additional staff. HWA recruited educators from both Syrian and host communities through local networks with constant supervision and support to help them in their jobs.

Turkey

In 2014, CRS plans to hold a recruitment campaign through outreach to organizations working in the area, institutions and services used by Syrians and word of mouth. They plan on establishing teacher learning circles that meet every fortnight to share ideas and materials, encouraging reflective diaries for personal analysis of methods and activities that work and those that don't work. Refresher trainings for teachers to revisit materials learned in previous trainings will also be arranged.

UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Education to select and recruit teachers and educators, both in and outside camps. Currently teachers and educators are not receiving any form of salary,

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so UNICEF is providing incentives to camp teachers and in the future to host community teachers.

 

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Educational  Law  and  Policy  Jordan

In 2014, WV will coordinate with the in-country Inter-agency Education Working Group to raise necessary advocacy for the education of Syrian children, while considering vulnerable Jordanian host community children. NRC hosts ongoing meetings with the MOE to develop a catch up program for Syrian children who dropped out from school due to displacement.

IRD staff in Amman worked closely with the MOE to review relevant policy and regulations regarding community-school collaboration. They proposed amendments to Article 35 of the year 1994, pertaining to school donations, and Article 7 of the year 2002, pertaining to school summer clubs and proposed a focus on summer school/extra-curricular activities. These amendments will facilitate the work of CPSCs and community-schools. The proposed amendments have reached their final stages at the MOE and are pending the Minister’s signature. The MOE also committed to address the recommendations in advocating for community-schools at the policy level as follows:

• Amendment of Parents & Teachers Council instructions to include CPSCs. • Amendment of the rules on voluntary work at schools to allow schools to receive

donations from different sources. • Amendment of the instructions for the usage of schools’ sports facilities. • Amendment of the summer clubs instructions to allow community members and parents

to use the school during summer holidays. • Amendment of the school library usage instructions to allow community members and

parents to borrow books. • Amendment of the instructions regarding income generation projects inside schools to

allow parents and community members to help in implementing these projects inside schools.

• Amendment of the instructions regarding trips and school visits to allow parents and community members to participate in them.

• Development of instructions to allow principals to directly communicate with CBOs without referring back to the MOE.

• Adoption of community-school standards and promotion to all schools.

These steps were taken in cooperation with policymakers, school councils, Governors, Senators and other educational initiatives working inside schools to start with school donations and summer clubs that will play a key role in ensuring there are policies at the MOE central level to support community schools. The CMP also prepared a CPSC training package that was submitted to the Directorates of General Education/Department of Formal Education in its final form and received all the necessary approvals for its distribution. One of the CMP project’s key

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achievements was defining a community-school criteria and a rubric for assessment, which has been adopted by the MOE. Each school is now required to demonstrate that it has fund raising activities, community involvement and communication, in order to be accredited as a community-school with the MOE.

Lebanon

NRC works to influence policies through supporting the development of quality standards, assessments and through its Information and Legal Assistance Program.

IQRA is working closely with the Lebanese MOE in the hopes of affecting the population in a way that brings about change in the educational sector.

Turkey

UNICEF maintains close coordination with MOE on policies regarding teacher recruitment, incentives and salaries, curriculum and certification to ensure there are regulations on education for Syrians.

 

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Use  of  INEE  Tools  The survey respondents shared information on their use of key INEE good practice tools in their design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of education programs in response to the Syrian crisis. The results are summarized in the table below: